Alabama Business Name Search (LLC Lookup): Guide In Sep. 2026

Once you’ve picked a name for your Alabama Limited Liability Company (LLC), the next step is checking if it’s actually available. You do that using the Alabama Business Name Search tool.

In Alabama, your business name can’t match another registered business or even be too similar, and it also has to follow the state’s naming rules. If it doesn’t meet those requirements, your LLC filing will be rejected.

I’ll show you how to use the Alabama Business Name Search tool to check if your name is available and what the state requires so you don’t run into issues when filing your LLC paperwork.

Alabama Business Name Search Overview

Alabama has a tool called the Business Entity Search that lets you look up businesses registered in the state and compare your name against them. This helps you figure out if your name is already taken, since the state doesn’t allow two businesses to have the same name or anything too similar.

Next, make sure your name follows the Alabama Secretary of State’s rules. I’ve broken those down below so you can go through them clearly.

After that, your next step is either filing a Name Reservation Request or moving forward with your LLC Certificate of Formation and Name Reservation in the same process.

How To Use The Alabama Business Name Entity Search Tool

Follow these steps to check your name availability before filing or reserving your LLC name.

1. Visit The Alabama Business Entity Search Page

Go to the Alabama Business Entity Search By Entity Name

• Name: Type in your desired LLC name. Leave out “LLC” and any punctuation. Capitalization doesn’t matter. For better results, you should just enter the first few words or the beginning of the name. If your name is only one word, enter that.
• Type: Leave at “All Records”
• Place of Formation: Leave at “All Records”
• Principal City: Leave this blank
• Status: Leave this as “All Records”
• Click the “Search” button.

2. How To Interpret Your Search Results

a. No Matches Found

If you see “No matches found” on the screen, that means your LLC name is unique and available to use.

Still, it’s smart to double-check. Instead of only searching the full name, try a broader search using just part of it. So if your name is “Magnolia Creek Builders,” run another search for just “Magnolia.”

This helps you catch names that are close or similar, not just exact matches, which is often where problems come up.

b. Names Not Too Similar Appear

You may use your desired name if the search results only show names that aren’t too similar to yours.

Using the same example, if you search “Magnolia Creek Builders” and the results show something like “Magnolia Creek Music,” that’s generally fine. The names are different enough in meaning and wording, so your LLC name would still be considered available for filing.

c. Your Exact LLC Name Appears

If your exact name shows up in the list of search records, you can’t use your LLC name for filing because another Alabama business has already used it.

In this case, you need to tweak your LLC name or choose a different name entirely.

d. Very Similar Names Appear

Your LLC name may not be available for filing if the search records show a name that is very similar to yours.

For example, if you find “Montgomery Abstraction” but your desired name is “Montgomery Abstractions,” then you may not use that name since it’s considered too similar.

Alabama Secretary of State Contact Information

You can call the Alabama Secretary of State to confirm whether your LLC name is available.

Their representatives can help you use the Alabama Business Entity Search and answer questions about the name reservation process.

The Business Services Division can be reached at 334-242-5324. Their hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Alabama LLC Name Requirements

Under the Alabama Business and Nonprofit Entities Code, there are a few rules you need to follow when naming your LLC.

1. Your LLC Name Must Include These Designators (Endings)

Your Alabama LLC name must include either “Limited Liability Company” or one of its abbreviations: “L.L.C.” or “LLC.” This requirement is set by Section 10A-1-5.06.

2. You Can’t Use Certain Words in Your Alabama LLC Name

You can’t use terms like “Inc.”, “Corp.”, “Incorporated”, or “Corporation” anywhere in your LLC name.

Those words are tied to a different type of business entity. They make your business name sound like you’re forming a corporation instead of an LLC, and the state won’t allow that mismatch.

3. What Words Are Restricted In Your Alabama LLC Name?

You can’t just use any word in your LLC name. Under Section 10A-1-5.02, certain words and phrases are restricted, especially if they suggest activities you’re not authorized to carry out.

For example, you can’t use the word “Bank” unless you have a letter from the Alabama Banking Commissioner’s Office.

The same idea applies to certain licensed professions. If you want to use words like “architect” or “doctor,” you’ll need the appropriate approval or license first.

Your Alabama Business Name Must Be Distinguishable

Under Section 10A-1-5.12 of the Alabama LLC Act, your LLC name can’t be the same as another business name or even too similar to one.

Below are the rules, along with examples of names that aren’t considered distinguishable.

1. Designators

Differences in endings like LLC, Inc., or Corp don’t make a name distinguishable. The state ignores these designators when deciding if a name is unique under Section 10A-1-5.03.

If your desired name is something like “Brightfield Builders LLC”, then you can’t use that if the results show any of the following:

• Brightfield Builders, Inc,
• Brightfield Builders, Corp
• Brightfield Builders, L.L.C

2. Filler Words

Adding filler or non-meaningful words (The, a, an, and, &, of, or) doesn’t create distinguishability.

For example, you wouldn’t be able to use “Silver Oak Farms LLC” if any of these show up in the search results:

• The Silver Oak Farms LLC
• Silver & Oak Farms Corp.
• A Silver Oak Farms Inc.

3. Plural Or Possessive Words

You can’t make a name distinguishable just by adding an “s” to make it plural or possessive.

Say your desired name is “Harper’s Balloon Studio LLC,” it won’t be available to use if any of these already exist:

• Harpers Balloon Studio LLC
• Harper Balloon Studio, Inc.
• Harpers Balloon Studios L.L.C.

4. Numerals Or Spelled-Out Numbers

You can’t make a name different by using numerals like “5” or “101” instead of spelling them out.

For example, “50 Peaks Adventures LLC” is considered the same as “Fifty Peaks Adventures LLC,” so the name wouldn’t be available.

What If Your Alabama LLC Name Is Rejected?

If your name isn’t unique or doesn’t follow Alabama’s rules, the Secretary of State will reject your name reservation or formation filing.

At that point, you’ll have to either tweak the name or choose a new one, then go through the filing process again.

Before submitting again, run the updated name through the Business Entity Records search tool one more time. You want to be sure it’s clearly different from anything already on file. That extra step helps you avoid getting rejected again.

Filing Your Alabama LLC Name Reservation

Before 2021, forming an Alabama LLC was a two-step process. You had to file a Name Reservation first, then submit your Certificate of Formation. Now you can complete both at the same time during the process of filing your formation document online.

If you choose to form your LLC by mail, though, you’ll still need to reserve your name first since the application requires a copy of the Name Reservation Certificate.

If you’re not ready to file your Alabama LLC yet, you can reserve your name first. Then, when you’re ready, you’ll use your Name Reservation number when submitting the Certificate of Formation.

To file online, use the Alabama Secretary of State Name Reservation Portal. The approval is instant, and the fee is $28.

If you want to file by mail, you’ll need to submit the Name Reservation Request form. Approval usually takes about 4 to 7 days, and the fee is $25.

Both options will hold your business name for one year.

Frequently Asked Questions